Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sl1eetS+Sheet 1.

' J. P. THORNTON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 378,409; Patented Feb. 21,1888.

n H S g WITNESSES INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

J P. THORNTON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 378,409. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

INVENTOR WITR SES (L wifi UNTTED STATES PATENT rErcE,

JAMES F. THORNTON, OF NICHOLAS COURTHOUSE, WEST VIRGINIA.

CAR COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming pent of Letters Patent No. 378,409, dated February 21, 188%.

Application filed Xoveniher 19,1887. Serial X0. 255,644. (Noniodelj To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. THORNTON, of Nicholas Gourt'House, in the county of Nicholas and State of West Virginia, have in; vented a new and useful Improvement in Car- Conplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved car-coupling seeking to provide simple and convenient means whereby the cars may be coupled or uncoupled without necessitating the operator going between the ears.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and novel combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of two cars provided with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improvements in place on a car, dotted lines being employed to indicate different positions of some of the parts. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the erosshead; Fig. i, a detail view ofone of the grapple-bars; Fig. 5,ahorizonta1longitudinal section of the draw head. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the pinbar, and Fig. 7 a detail view of the coupling-link.

To the car is connected a drawhead, A, which forms a support for the grapple-arms l3, and which husa link-mortise, a, and a suit able pin-opening. Within this 1ink-rnortisc a, I arrange springs G, secu red at their forward ends and converging toward their rear or free ends, as shown in Fig. 5. These springs serve to prevent any rattling movement of the link I) when in the drawhead, case the entrance of said link, and at the same time permit the lateral play of such link desirable in the possage of trains around curves and bends.

The grapple arms or bars 13 are pivoted at their rear ends to the draw-head or othersuitable support, and are provided at their forward ends with the grapples or hooks I). These arms, by reason of their pivot, as described, may be adj nsted to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 2-, over the draw-head,or to the dotted position, same figure, where they rest at right angles to the direction of length of the draw-head. I provide latches E, by

which the bars B may be secured in either one of such positions, such latches by preference being spring-plates secured at one end to the arms, and having pins 6 at their opposite ends, which project through the arms and enter sockets in the draw-head or in short bars or project-ions F, extended from the end of the car, as the case may he. XV hen in position over the draw-head, the grapples or hooks of the arms B project beyond the end of the draw-head, as will be seen in Fig. l.

The coupling-pin g is formed or secured on the lower end of the vertical bar G, which extends upward through a guide, G, to or nearly to the top of the car, and is preferably actuated by a spring or springs, H, which give the bar a downward tension. This bar, it will be seen, may be reached and operated by a person on top of the car, and to facilitate its operation from the side of thc'car I pro vide a lever, I, pivoted between its ends,connected at one end with the vertical bar and having its other end extended to the side of the car.

On the vertical slide-bur I pivotally support what may be termed the cross-head J, which has a stcn1,j, extended at right angles from its rear end, and the pivot of the crosshead is preferably arranged near the extremity of such stem. When in operative position, the cross-head rests near to the top of the draw-head, and is held in such position by a latch or slide bolt, K, on the under side of the cross-head entering a socket, k, in the slidebar G. To adjust the cross-head out of operative posit-ion the latch K should he released, the cross head turned on its pivotal connection with the slide-bar, and the bolt K be adjusted into the upper socket, 7c, in the slidebar.

It will be seen that one of my improved couplings can be conveniently coupled with an ordinary coupling by the common link; but it is preferred to use two of my couplings in conjunction.

In operation the coupling devices on one car are adjusted as follows; The grapplingarms are extended over the drav.='-liea(l and secured with the grapples or hooks projected beyond the end of the draw-head, and the cross-head of such car is preferably adjusted up out of operative position, and the link is secured in the draw-head. On the other car the grappling-arms are turned outward against the ends of the car, and the cross-head is lowered into operative position, If these two cars be now brought together, the cross-head of the latter one will engage the grapples or hooks of the arms B, and be raised thereby to pass over and engage the shoulders of the grapples. This elevation of the cross-head effects the elevation of the slide-bar and pin, so that the link held by the opposite drawhead will pass under the pin when elevated by the inclines of the grapples, which pin will lower into and secure the link when the crosshead moves into proper engagement with the grapples. Thus the adjustment of one set of devices to coupled position operates to adjust another set of devices to coupled position, a double coupling being thus effected.

As the said devices operate together and coact as described, it is preferred to use them together, as shown; but it is manifest they may be used alone without departing from some of the broad features of my invention.

The construction, it will be seen, is simple, and can be readily applied or added to the ordinary draw-head without requiring any considerable change or alteration in said drawhead.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new is.

1. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the slide-bar extended to or nearly to the top of the car and having the couplingpin at its lower end, and a spring or springs for depressing said slide-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head and the grapples or hooks extended thereover and separated, forming a way between them for a part on a meeting drawhead, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head or support, of grapple-arms pivoted at their rear ends and movable laterally in opposite directions onto and off the drawhead or support, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a car-coupling, a draw-head or support and grapple arms or bars pivoted at their rear ends, whereby they may be adjusted or swung laterally, as described, in combination with latches or detents for securing said arms in their different adjustments, substantially as set forth.

projections F, of the latches consisting of spring-plates secured at one end to the arms and provided at their free ends with pins to enter sockets in the draw-head or support, and the projections F in the different adjustments of the grapple-arms, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head and suitable guides, of the slidebar movable vertically in said guides and extended approximately to the top of the car, and the coupling-pin rigidly connected with the lower end of the slide-rod, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car-coupling, a vertically-movable slide-bar provided with a cross-head arranged to be engaged by grapples or hooks of a meetingcoupling, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head having a link'mortise and the vertical slide-bar provided with a crosshead and with the coupling-pin, whereby the pin may be elevated for the insertion of the link by the contact of the cross-head with the grapple hooks or bars, substantially as set forth.

9. The vertical slide-bar, combined with the cross-head, pivotally connected therewith, whereby it may be elevated out of operative position, and a latch for securing the crosshead in its different adjustments, substantial] y as set forth.

10. The combination of the draw-head, the grapple-bars, and the vertical slide-bar provided with the coupling-pin and with the cross-head, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. The combination of the draw-head, the grapple-bars pivoted at their rear ends and adjustable over said draw-head, the vertical slidebar, and the cross-head supported thereby, substantially as set forth.

JAMES F. THORNTON.

WVitnesses:

J AOOB WODELL, WM. M. WALKER. 

